In order to participate in the multi-center study you will only need to perform 5 simple steps.

1. Register

Click on the login button on the left of the www.lipou.org web page. Click on the “Click Here to Register” link. Fill in the fields with the indicated information. A few notes on data entry. The phone number should be 10 digit (ie. 1234567890) excluding the 1 before the area code and no dashes. Office contact is a person that we should ask for in the event we need to call your office about the study. If you choose to have office personnel enter study information they would be the office contact. E-mail-ID is simply a contact email address in the event we need to contact you. All of the fields are required except for the email. After the fields are completed choose the “Submit” button.

2. Login

Your login is your last name and the password is the last four digits of the phone number you provided during registration.

3. Buy Equipment

On the navigation bar there is a “Buy Equipment” leading to a separate web page. This page reveals a list of equipment required for participation in this study that may not be present in your office. Some of this equipment may already be present among your office supplies. In case you need to purchase these items, links are provided to online providers.

4. Add Patient

The “User Options” button has replaced the “Login” button on the navigation bar. Clicking on the “User Options” button will reveal four links. To add a patient click on the “Add Patient” button.

In order to standardize data entered, the desired techniques for patient evaluation are explained below. “Patient #” is used instead of the patient’s name. This substitution is used to preserve patient confidentiality, but you will need to identify the patient by their number later when updating information. “Amount of Fat Removed” should indicate the amount of fat removed in cc’s at the beginning of the study. “Date of Removal” can be chosen by selecting the “click” box and clicking on the date from the provided calendar. “Weight” should be the weight of the patient taken before surgery and recorded in lbs. “Height” is recorded in inches, rounding to the nearest 0.5 inches is acceptable. “Abd Girth” is measured around the abdomen at the base of the naval in centimeters. “Blood Pressure” is recorded entering the systolic value in the first blank and diastolic in the second. “Fasting Blood Sugar” is a critical value for the study and directions accompany the glucometer if required. “HbA1c” is also required and Metrika supplies detailed instructions for its evaluation.

5. Update Patient Information

Every 3 months you will be required to update patient’s information. Click on the “User Options” button and then the “Edit Patient” link. A list of patients involved in the study will be shown listed by patient number and fat removal information. Choose “Edit” for the desired patient and then choose “Add New Entry.” These fields are the same as those provided in the “Add Patient” form except for a few spaces. “Subsequent Fat Removed” is used in case further liposuction has been performed since the initial procedure. This field may be left blank if no subsequent liposuction has been performed. “Updation Period” will indicate which update period you are providing. Updates should be performed every 3 months as long as the study requires to provide statistically relevant data.

All of the doctors participating in the study will be kept informed of findings as the study proceeds. Thank you for your participation in this ground breaking research.